The low cost of living?
The April Wired has a blurb ("Home Swede Home," pg 94) about Ikea's plans to break ground on BoKlok -- the home-furnishing company's "low-income housing" concept -- in Gateshead, England. The homes will have high ceilings and Whirlpool appliances, among other amenities. Price tag on an 872-square-foot, three-bedroom home? $290,000.
Now I'll admit Memphis has a fairly low cost of living. But come on, $290,000? Maybe it's low-income living by Ikea's standards, but that'd buy a pretty nice place around here. Certainly something more substantial than 872 square feet.
Did I mention that with every purchase, Ikea tosses in a consultation with an interior designer? After all, you can't have your low-income residents using regular furniture. No, no, they must decorate with the sleek, functional beauty of Swedish design.
Duh, even poor people should know that.
posted by Kate at 7:39 AM
Copyright 2001-2009, L.K.C.S. It's MINE, all MINE. If you wanna use it, gimme credit and a link, okies? And don't run with scissors, because you're just going to poke somebody's eye out with that thing. No, really. 
4 Comments:
$290,000 wouldn't get you a one-bedroom condo in a lot of areas around DC.
Remember, England is an island. They can only expand so much!
Yeah, poor people are so annoying. Do they realize how much it offends when rich people walk by and see retro furniture? Rich people deserve better. And what's really more important, having health insurance or the luxury of Swedish interior design?
Being Swedish, I must choose the latter.
That sounds about right for low income living in England. A 500-square foot apartment in London (not even Central London, mind you) would cost around £500,000, which is about $1,000,000. I remember seeing tiny, tiny 1-bathroom houses in the middle of nowhere on sale for £300,000 ($600,000) and up. It's absolutely insane how expensive it is to live there. Insane!
"low" cost living indeed.
w/THAT kinda money, i'd just live offa it and sleep in the car!!!
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